AN ACT to amend the
Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new article,
designated §61-11B-1, §61-11B-2, §61-11B-3, §61-11B-4 and §61-11B-5, all relating
to establishment of a criminal offense reduction program; creating the criminal
offense classification of reduced misdemeanor; setting forth legislative
intent; setting forth definitions; allowing persons convicted of certain
criminal felony offenses to petition under specified circumstances for
reduction of the felony to misdemeanor status; setting forth limitations;
providing for reduced offense status to be reflected on criminal records;
expressly providing that reduction of felony offense means person shall not be
deemed as being convicted of a felony for certain legal purposes or
restrictions; clarifying that a reduced misdemeanor may not be expunged;
clarifying that criminal offense reduction is in the discretion of the circuit
court; establishing procedures for petition to the court; requiring payment of
a filing fee when filing petition; directing a fee be paid to the State Police
to offset costs associated with facilitating the purposes of this article;
setting forth information to be included on the petition; providing for
notification of petition to certain persons; requiring prosecuting attorney to
contact identified victims; providing for notice of opposition to the petition
by certain persons; establishing burden and standard of proof for petitions;
providing for a hearing and setting forth procedures; providing for entry of an
order by the court; authorizing court to enter an order directing certain
records to reflect reduction of a felony offense to the status of reduced
misdemeanor; requiring certification of compliance to the court; providing for
disclosure requirements; and granting employers limited civil immunity for
hiring of convicted felons and persons in reduced misdemeanor status and
exceptions thereto.

Be it enacted by the
Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Code of
West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new article,
designated §61-11B-1, §61-11B-2, §61-11B-3, §61-11B-4, and §61-11B-5, all to
read as follows:

ARTICLE
11B. CRIMINAL OFFENSE REDUCTION.

§61-11B-1.
Legislative intent.

It
is the Legislature’s intention in enacting this article to establish a procedure
whereby individuals convicted of certain criminal offenses may, pursuant to the
provisions of this article, obtain a reduced offense of conviction. In enacting
this article, it is also the Legislature’s intent to improve the employment
possibilities of certain persons while allowing the public notice of their
actual conduct and prior transgressions without further penalty or diminution
of employment opportunities.

§61-11B-2.
Definitions.

(a) As used in this article, the following words and phrases shall have
the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise:

(1)
“Criminal offense reduction” means the reduction of a qualifying felony offense
to a misdemeanor offense pursuant to this article.

(2)
“Excluded offense” means:

(A)
An offense which involves the infliction of serious physical injury;

(B) A sexual offense, including, but not limited to, a violation of the
felony provisions of article eight, eight-b, eight-c or eight-d of this
chapter;

(C) An offense which involves the use or exhibition of a deadly weapon or
dangerous instrument;

(D) A felony violation of the provisions of section nine, article two of
this chapter;

(E) A felony violation of the provisions of section twenty-eight, article
two of this chapter;

(F) A felony violation of article four, chapter seventeen-b of this code;
or

(G) A felony, the facts and circumstances of which the circuit court
finds to be inconsistent with the purposes of this article.

(3)
“Nonviolent felony” means a felony conviction in a circuit court of this state,
which the circuit court finds is not: (i) An excluded offense as defined in
subdivision (2) of this article; and (ii) which does not involve violence or
potential violence to another person or the public.

(4)
“Petitioner” means a person who has filed a petition seeking a criminal offense
reduction under the provisions of this article.

(5)
“Qualifying felony offense” means a nonviolent felony offense that is not
excluded from relief under this article.

(6)
“Reduced misdemeanor” means a legal status representing that a person
previously convicted of a nonviolent qualifying felony has successfully
petitioned a circuit court to have the felony conviction reduced to the status
of a misdemeanor.

(7)
“Requisite time period” means ten years after completion of any sentence or
period of supervision or probation, whichever is later, during which time there
has been no commission and conviction for a violation of law by the petitioner
other than for a minor traffic offense.

§61-11B-3.
Criminal offense reduction.

(a) Subject to the limitations and procedures set forth in this article,
a person convicted of a nonviolent felony offense may seek a criminal offense
reduction by petition to the circuit court. If granted, the petitioner’s felony
conviction shall be vacated and the petitioner’s status will thereafter be
designated on all records relating to the offense as a “reduced misdemeanor”.
The petitioner’s criminal record shall also reflect that he or she be granted
such legal status as is associated with being convicted of a misdemeanor and,
except as provided by the provisions of this article, the person shall not be
deemed to have been convicted of a felony for any legal purpose or restriction.

(b)
Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the reduced misdemeanor
provided for under this article may not be expunged as part of this petition or
by subsequent legal proceeding or petition.

(c)
There shall be no entitlement to a criminal offense reduction and the granting
of the petition shall remain in the discretion of the circuit court.

(d)
Nothing in the section may be construed to allow a person obtaining relief
pursuant to this article to be eligible for reinstatement of any retirement or
employment benefit which he or she lost or forfeited due to the felony
conviction or convictions vacated and reduced to the status of a misdemeanor.

§61-11B-4.
Petition for reduction.

(a)
A person seeking a criminal offense reduction under this article shall file
with the circuit court a petition, in a form and manner set forth by the West
Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.

(b)
Any person filing a petition pursuant to the provisions of this article shall
pay the filing fee set by the provisions of subdivision (1), subsection (a),
section eleven, article one, chapter fifty-nine of this code: Provided, That
in addition to the fee required by the provisions of this subsection a
petitioner shall pay a fee of $100 which shall be deposited into a
nonappropriated special revenue account within the State Treasurer’s office to
be known as the West Virginia State Police Criminal History Account, said fee
to be used to offset costs to the State Police for actions to facilitate the
operation of this article.

(c) Each petition
for criminal offense reduction filed pursuant to this section shall be verified
under oath and include the following information:
(1) Petitioner’s current name and all other legal names or aliases
by which the petitioner has been known at any time;
(2) All of petitioner’s addresses from the date of the offense for
which a criminal offense reduction order is sought to the date of the filing of
the petition;
(3) Petitioner’s date of birth and Social Security number;
(4) Petitioner’s date of arrest, the court of jurisdiction and
criminal case number;
(5) The offense or offenses with which petitioner was charged and
of which petitioner was convicted and the statutory citations therefor;
(6) The names of any victim or victims, or where there are no
identifiable victims such shall be stated;
(7) Whether there is any current order for restitution, protection,
restraining order or other no-contact order prohibiting the petitioner from
contacting the victims or whether there has ever been a prior order for
restitution, protection or restraining order prohibiting the petitioner from
contacting the victim. If there is such a current order, petitioner shall
attach a copy of that order to his or her petition;
(8) The court’s disposition of the matter and sentence imposed;
(9) The reasons a criminal offense reduction is sought, such as,
but not limited to, employment or licensure purposes, and arguments in support
thereof;

(10) The date
upon which he or she completed any sentence or period of supervision or
probation;

(11) An express
averment by the petitioner that he or she has neither committed nor been
convicted of a violation of law;
(12) The action the petitioner has taken since the time of the offense
or offenses toward personal rehabilitation, including treatment, work or other
personal history that demonstrates rehabilitation;
(13) Whether petitioner has ever been granted criminal offense
reduction, expungement or similar relief regarding a criminal conviction by any
court in this state, any other state or by any federal court; and
(14) Any supporting documents, sworn statements, affidavits or
other information supporting the petition to reduce criminal offense.

(d)
A copy of the petition, with any supporting documentation, shall be served by
petitioner pursuant to the West Virginia Rules of Civil Procedure upon the
Superintendent of the State Police; the prosecuting attorney of the county of
conviction; the chief of police or other executive head of the municipal police
department wherein the offense was committed; the chief law-enforcement officer
of any other law-enforcement agency which participated in the arrest of the
petitioner; the circuit court of conviction, if the petition is filed in
another circuit; the superintendent or warden of any state correctional
facility in which the petitioner was imprisoned; and any state and local
government agencies the records of which would be affected by the proposed
criminal offense reduction.

(e)
The prosecuting attorney of the county in which the petition is filed shall
serve by first class mail the petition for criminal offense reduction,
accompanying documentation and any proposed criminal offense reduction order to
any identified victims.

(f)
Upon receipt of a petition for criminal offense reduction, the Superintendent
of the State Police, the prosecuting attorney of the county of conviction, the
chief of police or other executive head of the municipal police department
wherein the offense was committed, the chief law-enforcement officer of any
other law-enforcement agency which participated in the arrest of the petitioner,
the superintendent or warden of any institution in which the petitioner was
confined, the circuit court of conviction, if the petition is filed in another
circuit, any state and local government agencies the records of which would be
affected by the proposed criminal offense reduction and any interested
individual or agency that desires to oppose the criminal offense reduction shall,
within thirty days of receipt of the petition, file a notice of opposition with
the court with supporting documentation and sworn statements setting forth the
reasons for resisting the petition for criminal offense reduction. A copy of
any notice of opposition with supporting documentation and sworn statements
shall be served upon the petitioner or his or her counsel in accordance with
West Virginia Rules of Civil Procedure. The petitioner may file a reply no
later than fifteen days after service of any notice of opposition to the
petition for criminal offense reduction.

(g)
The burden of proof shall be on the petitioner to prove by clear and convincing
evidence that:

(1)
The conviction or convictions for which criminal offense reduction is sought are
qualifying offenses and are the only convictions against petitioner;

(2)
That the requisite time period has passed since the conviction or convictions
or end of the completion of any sentence of incarceration or probation;

(3)
That the petitioner has neither committed nor been convicted of a violation of
law in the preceding ten years;

(4)
That petitioner has no criminal charges pending against him or her;

(5)
That the criminal offense reduction is consistent with the public welfare;

(6)
That petitioner has, by his or her behavior since the conviction or
convictions, evidenced that he or she has been rehabilitated and has remained
law-abiding; and

(7)
Any other matter deemed appropriate or necessary by the court to make a
determination regarding the petition for criminal offense reduction.

(h)
Within one hundred eighty days of the filing of a petition for criminal offense
reduction or as soon thereafter as is practicable the circuit court shall:

(1)
Summarily grant the petition;

(2)
Set the matter for hearing; or

(3)
Summarily deny the petition, if the court determines that the petition is
insufficient, or based upon supporting documentation and sworn statements filed
in opposition to the petition, the court determines that the petitioner, as a
matter of law, is not entitled to reduction.
(i) If the court sets the matter for hearing, all interested
parties who have filed a notice of opposition shall be notified. At the
hearing, the court may inquire into the background of the petitioner and shall
have access to any reports or records relating to the petitioner that are on
file with any law-enforcement authority, the institution of confinement, if
any, and parole authority or other agency which was in any way involved with
the petitioner’s arrest, conviction, sentence and post-conviction supervision,
including any record of arrest or conviction in any other state or federal
court. The court may hear testimony of witnesses and evidence of any other
matter the court deems proper and relevant to its determination regarding the
petition. The court shall enter an order reflecting its ruling on the petition
for criminal offense reduction with appropriate findings of fact and
conclusions of law.

(j)
If the court grants the petition for criminal offense reduction, it shall order
any records in the custody of the court, and of any other agency or official,
including law-enforcement records, to reflect reduction of the felony offense
to the status of reduced misdemeanor. Every agency with records relating to the
arrest, charge or other matters arising out of the arrest or conviction that is
ordered to reflect the criminal offense reduction in its records shall certify
to the court within ninety days of the entry of the criminal offense reduction
order that the required reduction has been completed: Provided, That
upon inquiry by a prospective employer or on an application for employment,
credit or other type of application, he or she shall disclose the existence of
the reduced misdemeanor and acknowledgement of the prior conviction if asked
about prior convictions or crimes.

(k) Upon granting of criminal offense reduction, the person whose felony
offense has been reduced under the provisions of this article shall not have to
disclose the fact of the record or any matter relating thereto on an
application for employment, credit or other type of application that he or she
has a felony conviction.

§61-11B-5.
Employer protections.

(a) A cause of action may not be
brought against an employer, general contractor, premises owner or other third
party solely based on the employer, general contractor, premises owner or other
third party employing a person or independent contractor who has been convicted
of a nonviolent, nonsexual offense or a person who has had his or her
conviction reduced pursuant to this article.

(b) In a negligent hiring
action against an employer, general contractor, premises owner, or other third
party for the acts of an employee or independent contractor that is based on a
theory of liability other than that described by subsection (a) of this
section, the fact that the employee or independent contractor was convicted of
a nonviolent, nonsexual offense or had his or her conviction reduced pursuant
to this article before the employee or independent contractor’s employment or
contractual obligation with the employer, general contractor, premises owner or
other third party, as applicable, may not be introduced into evidence.

(c) This section does not
preclude any existing cause of action for failure of an employer or other
person to provide adequate supervision of an employee or independent
contractor, except that the fact that the employee or independent
contractor has been convicted of a nonviolent, nonsexual criminal offense
or had his or her conviction reduced pursuant to this article may be introduced
into evidence in the suit only if the employer:

(1) Knew of the conviction or was
grossly negligent in not knowing of the conviction or reduced offense; and

(2) The conviction or reduced
offense was directly related to the nature of the employee’s or
independent contractor’s work and the conduct that gave rise to the alleged
injury that is the basis of the suit.

(d) This section shall not be interpreted
as implying a cause of action exists for negligent hiring of a person based
upon his or her criminal record in factual situations not covered by the
provisions of this section.